The rate fell from 8.9 percent in March to 8.8 percent in April, however the number of employed dropped by 3,256 to 1,961,327, and but a shrinkage in the overall labor force of 6,055 led to an overall drop in the number of unemployed by 2,799 to 189,865.

Nationally, the unemployment rate dropped from 8.2 percent in March to 8.1 percent in April, with about 340,000 people leaving the labor force in April.

Despite that good news, Beaufort County held steady at 7% in April as the labor force grew by 100 to 64,098 and the number of jobs was up 86 to 59,592.